Back In April JetBlue announced a large expansion out of Worcester Massachusetts including the resumption of nonstop flights to Orlando. JetBlue has some big changes coming up with the potential merger with Spirit Airlines and new international destinations. JetBlue’s operates a fleet of Embraer E190s, Airbus A220 and A320 family of aircraft. The Airbus A320 is the main workhorse of the JetBlue fleet. How does the A320 product differentiate itself from other airlines? The A320 Core Economy Product will be reviewed on the inaugural flight from Worcester Regional Airport (ORH) to Orlando International Airport (MCO) to find out.
Ground Experience
Booking is accomplished online or through the JetBlue app. Introductory fares for the Worcester to Orlando Flights are priced around $50. Worcester Airport is a smaller sized airport with Delta Air Lines and American Airlines providing weekly departures to New York LGA and JFK in addition to JetBlue’s Florida flights. In the check in area were balloons to celebrate the new routes. Being a small airport, security only takes a matter of minutes.
After passing security, an announcement was made that the flight would be delayed due to Air Traffic Control and weather delays in Florida. Worcester Airport lacks amenities however, a single mini mart and bar area is located mid terminal. To pass the time, the crew and airport held a ribbon cutting ceremony with the help of the crew and a few young passengers.
Inflight Experience
After a one-hour delay in the terminal, the crew was able to find a new routing around weather that Florida’s air traffic control could accommodate. The aircraft for todays flight recently underwent a retrofit adding 12 additional seats. Seat Pitch ranges from 32″ in core (standard economy) to 38″ of pitch in the Even More Space seats. Every seat was occupied on this afternoon flight to Orlando.
Reaching cruising altitude, the crew began the inflight service consisting of buy on board items followed by snack boxes and complimentary items. Buy on board items include headsets, pillows and blankets. Complimentary items on this flight include Pepsi Products, Dunkin Coffee and Bubbly seltzer. Snacks consist of pretzels, cheeseits, granola bars or plantain chips.
JetBlue’s signature differentiator is the free inflight entertainment. It includes live TV, games, and movies. There is a section dedicated for flights under two hours and for over two hours. This makes it possible to fully watch a show or movie without worrying about running out of time. Fly-FI is available free of charge for all passengers. The system remained fully operatorial for the duration of the flight and was able to support email and basic web browsing.
Final Approach
JetBlue’s refreshed A320 Core product holds a strong value. It has all the creature comforts on a flight including power outlets, Wi-Fi and inflight entertainment to name a few. While the seats feature generous legroom, the seats themselves feel stiff with a lack of rear padding. Complimentary snack selections are still plentiful, yet they are lacking compared to the previous selections which included more options and larger portions. For $9 per box, snack boxes felt lacking in portion size and value compared to other similarly marketed snack boxes on other domestic airlines. Crewmembers on any flight can make it or break it for an inflight experience. Crew on this flight performed their required functions but did nothing more.
In all, the JetBlue A320 Core Economy flight from Worcester to Orlando was an enjoyable night and day experience compared to the dated Embraer E190 product. Despite some shortcomings, JetBlue has an onboard offering that provides a strong value for the money.